Each of us sent an "ugly" fat quarter of our choice hidden in an envelope or bag and Jess swapped and sent them back out. Here is the "ugly" I received via Margo from VA ...

At first I though this was "not very ugly" and thought I had lucked out, but the more I looked at it and tried to find fabric to use with it, the more the "ugly" showed itself. The colors are really "off" in this fabric and it was very hard to find contrasting or matching fabric. I took it to four quilt shops and just could not find any other prints that would work with it or even much in the way of tone-on-tones. I finally settled on some Kaufman Fusions that I had in my stash.

The more I looked at the fat quarter, the more it looked like "old porcelain" to me and I wanted to make something different from my usual "flat" quilt projects so I found the pattern for a quilted "French Tea Cozy" that has been in my "things I want to do" file for sometime. I made my own templates and have them tucked away for future use. The pattern is from Favorite Things ...

and cut the front and back of the cozy from my "ugly" and used the Fusions for the bottom and lining and added some cute flower buttons. This is a "quilt as you go" pattern and it was actually rather easy to do.

The setting for the topper is my own design. It was a large square until I cut the scalloped edges with a large round tray from my kitchen. I used darker contrasting thread for the top and did much more quilting than I usually put into a smaller project. When it came to the binding I had not enough of any of the fabrics so I had to find something else. I took it back to the quilt shop and went around in circles trying to find something ... anything ... to match again and came home empty handed again and went back though my stash again and found a piece of a dark coral-red that went well with the top thread.

I have a lot of fun and learn so much being a part of the circle of the supportive quilters at the Quilt & Needle. I wish they could all come join me for tea and cookies and sewing ... you, too!! ...

Enjoy!

Come see all the "uglies" and entries as the last are appearing in the album and in a few days come back and vote! It is going to be a tough choice, though ...